The 27th Anniversary Reader Best of the Northland Awards has arrived! The Best of the Northland poll shines a light on the people doing great things in our area in a wide range of areas.
Often emulated, never duplicated, we bring you the 2023 Reader Best of the Northland!

Best of Health & Fitness
 
Best Bike Trail

Munger
Named after state legislator Willard Munger (1911-1999) this is 160 miles of multiple-use trails for hiking, bicycling, inline skating, snowmobiling and horseback riding. The paved Duluth-to-Hinckley section offers a spectacular 70-mile journey, following the historic 19th-century route of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad. Along the way are the St. Louis River, Jay Cooke State Park, Thomson Dam, Andrew State Forest and the picturesque towns of Barnum, Finlayson, Willow River and Moose Lake.

Best Place to Walk

Lake Walk
In the 1970s, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) planned to build a highway along the edge of the lake up the North Shore. Duluth citizens mobilized to get the freeway redesigned, and fighting the monolithic MnDOT seemed like tilting at windmills. But the residents didn’t give up and the highway was eventually set back with tunnels, allowing room for the much-loved multi-use path we have today. 

Major storms in 2017 and 2018 did significant damage to the Lakewalk, causing an estimated $30 million dollars in damage. MnDOT actually came to help in 2023, awarding nearly $11 million in grants for resiliency improvements.

 

Best Playground

Playfront
It’s the No. 1 choice of kids in Duluth, with a rubber floor, space-age arcs and bouncy platforms. Now in its second decade, parts of it still defy explanation. There are structures you can’t do anything with, like the overriding tall blue metal arcs and the stubby curved posts. Did someone grab the set design for a sci-fi Broadway play that never got produced and send it to us? We ate it up without question, of course, just like those ghastly structures in the immediate vicinity, the dayglo-warehouse aquarium and the lake view-blocking concert stage. But we got ‘em now, so we love ‘em to death.

 

Best Public Park

Tie: Brighton Beach & Lester Park
Readers keep loving Brighton Beach (aka Kitchi Gammi Park) even though it’s been a mess since the 2018 storm and reconstruction has been long subject to delays. Apparently they’re looking forward to it being finished, expected by the end of this summer. In the meantime the road has been replaced by a paved Lakewalk extension which is getting plenty of use.

Next door to Brighton Beach, Lester Park features nine-plus miles of hiking and mountain biking trails between Amity Creek and Lester River. Seven Bridges Road follows along Amity Creek. Lester Park Rendezvous takes place in the park every September and features lots of food, crafts and entertainment.

Best Skateboarding Spot

Chester Rink
The East Hillside neighborhood, Lower Chester Park Playground sits just east of Chester Park along Fifth Street and is technically part of Chester Park. It is primarily a hockey facility featuring two rinks, but the warming house doubles as a community center and one of the rinks converts to a skateboard facility in the summer.

Best Bike Shop

Twin Ports Cyclery
Since 1975, the experts at Twin-Ports Cyclery have worked to make a better cycling experience for residents of the Twin Ports with a personalized approach, getting you on the right bike. It also offers a full-service repair shop and accessories for every biking need. It helps that we all have a genuine love for biking. 

Best Chiropractor

Dr. James Hoeffling, DC
Dr. Hoeffling has been treating people since 2004 in his Superior clinic, Twin Ports Wellness & Aesthetics. He uses a “whole person approach,” combining hands-on-technique, state of the art physiotherapy procedures, natural vitamins and mineral supplements. He is a 1990 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Superior and received his doctorate from the Northwestern College of Chiropractic (1999).

Best Dentist

Dr. Gary Madison, DDS
Harborview Family Dental in Duluth’s Medical Arts Building has been around since the early 1960s when Dr. Allen Young started the practice. Currently, Dr. Gary Madison and Dr. Grant Nelson operate the general dental practice. Most recently, Dr. Melissa Madison has joined the practice. Dr. Madison grew up in Duluth, graduated from the University of Minnesota Dental school in 1990 and has been practicing in Duluth ever since.

Best Health Club

Duluth Area Family YMCA
Not clear which YMCA this refers to, as there are five in the Twin Ports area alone, so they collectively get the prize. (Props to the Hermantown location for the awesome water park.) The 150-year old institution has pretty much grown into a full-service life thing, with not only health and fitness programs but also babysitting, educational support, after-school drop-in, camp, sports, biking, yoga, safety training. If you prefer not to wade through a lot of darn kids to get to your workout, look elsewhere, but if you have a family, it’s essential.

Best Optical Shop

Vision Pro Optical
Vision Pro has 11 locations in the region including Duluth, Superior, Cloquet, Two Harbors, Aurora, Moose Lake and Grand Rapids. They offer a full range of eye care services for men, women and children. They also offer financing options and will work with insurance providers to ensure eye health for all patients.

Best Optometrist 
(individual)

Beth Fischer, OD
Fischer, who works at Vision Pro Optical in Cloquet, is the perennial favorite in this category, having won three times in the last four years (and runner-up in one). Fischer graduated from North Dakota State University in Fargo and got her Doctor of Optometry at the Pacific University College of Optometry in Oregon.

Fischer also keeps winning Best Doctor, but that category is intended for medical doctors. Readers keep having trouble selecting a clear favorite doctor, maybe because there are so many to choose from and the definition of “doctor” is a little fuzzy.

Best Ski Shop

Ski Hut East
The Ski Hut has been serving the people of Duluth for more than 60 years. The Ski Hut’s long history in Duluth is a big part of why they are an area favorite.
”We’ve been a ski shop in Duluth for 65 years,” said owner Scott Neustel, “so we always get people lined up with the right gear.”
While the age of the store is important, the time staff have devoted to the sport of skiing while inside the store or outside on the snow makes for good customer service. “Our staff is very experienced and we love to ski,” said Scott. “When people come in we teach them to love the sport and get them into the right gear.”

Best Sporting Goods Store

Play It Again Sports
With locations in Duluth and Superior, Play It Again buys, trades and sells quality used and new gear. They have made it possible for many kids to take part in sports that otherwise may not have been able to afford it. The stores are locally owned and operated, but as a nationwide chain, they leverage buying power to achieve the most competitive prices. Runner up: Marine General.

Best Yoga Studio

Full Circle Yoga
Full Circle Yoga is a locally owned studio and mindfulness community, located upstairs from OMC Smokehouse in the Lincoln Park Craft District. (Now you can eat, drink, shop and Shavasana all in the same neighborhood.) It’s more than a Yoga studio, it’s a supportive, authentic, safe, encouraging and caring space. First opened in Colorado in 2012, FCY continues to thrive and grow. Runner up: Align Yoga.

Best of Services

Best Attorney

Carrie Schneider
Working in the firm of Dryer & Peterson, PC, Carrie Schneider is a North Dakota native settled in Duluth. She is a graduate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law and worked as a public defender before transitioning to private practice. She is also a volunteer attorney with Legal Aid, a volunteer tax preparer with Community Action Duluth and a board member of Harm Reduction Sisters.

Best Auto Repair

Kolar Toyota
Part of the Kolar Automotive Group in Hermantown (also servicing Chevrolet, Buick, Hyundai, GMC and Cadillac) Kolar Toyota has expert technicians on staff to handle repair needs or oil changes, tire rotations, battery replacement, brake repairs and all other Toyota Factory Scheduled Maintenance.

Best Bank (local)

North Shore Bank of Commerce
Locally-owned and managed, independent community bank founded in Duluth in 1915, it offers a full array of personal and business banking products, mortgage services, insurance services, and a full selection of trust and investment services. It’s also a patron of the local arts, with works exhibited at its four locations.

Best Barber

Tie: Deep Cuts and Great Clips
Bee Golding opened Deep Cuts in 2020, Duluth’s Queer and Trans-owned hair studio, an inclusive hair studio with a punk rock attitude offering barber clipper cuts, long hair shear and razor cuts, color services, straight razor shaves, beard trims and more. Services priced by length, not gender since, ya know, hair doesn’t have a gender. It’s a safe space/island of misfit toys where you’re not just included, but celebrated. 

Great Clips is a convenient way to get a great haircut at an affordable price, with three locations in Mount Royal Shopping Center, West Duluth and Superior.

Best Catering

Kurtz Catering
Kurtz has served thousands of guests at weddings, family reunions, graduation parties, funerals, corporate banquets and holiday events since Al Kurtz founded the company in 1979. But they prepare the food at a location that is kind of hidden, in a building blending into a quiet Billings Park neighborhood that you might just think is an oversized garage.

“We are in a building behind a house,” said owner Paul Kurtz, Al’s son. “We pay commercial property tax on the building. I rent the house out to one of my employees.”
People driving by might be surprised how much business is going on in this particular block of Ohio Avenue. “I have 16 commercial ovens in my kitchen, nine doors of refrigerator, a walk-in cooler, and five doors of freezer space,” Paul said.
Casual onlookers might notice the vans parked next to the low-key headquarters. These vans carry food to about 575 events.

Best Credit Union (local)

Members Cooperative Credit Union
Members Co-op started out as the Cloquet Co-Op Credit Union in 1936 and it’s now the 10th largest credit union in Minnesota, providing banking services to tens of thousands of members, with branches in Moose Lake, North Branch, Aitkin, Baxter, Isanti, McGregor, Grand Rapids, Sandstone and Cloquet, plus three locations in Duluth.

Best Cab Company

Sk Taxi
Gushes one rider on their Facebook page, “Absolutely amazing u all are great drivers and you all go way beyond your own feelings to help people who HAVE DISABILITIES AND HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING INTO THE CAB AND I LIKE IT HOW THE DRIVERS EXSPLAIN THINGS TO ME.” They also offer a full-service garage, SK Auto Center. Drop your car off and get a ride to work while they fix you back up.

Best Day Care

Building Blocks
Building Blocks Learning Center in Hermantown provides a daily program in which a child is encouraged to interact according to their individual ability. The rooms are divided into learning centers where children are encouraged to explore, create, inquire and respond at their own level. Their environment is structured to provide activities for language development, manipulation of materials, developing routines and work habits, and expressing feelings and ideas. The children are also grouped according to their developmental age, which enables the child to grow among his/her peers.

Best Florist

Engwall Florists
Ulysses S. Grant was president when Engwall began providing flowers and floral arrangements for Duluthians way back in 1876. In addition to a large inventory of fresh flowers, you can also get tropicals, plants, high-style arrangements, silk or dried arrangements, wedding consults and funeral designs. They also carry an extensive gift line, gourmet and fruit baskets and candles. Runner up: Saffron & Grey.

Best Golf Course

Tie: Nemadji & Enger Park
The views throughout Nemadji, a public golf course, offer panoramas not found anywhere else near Superior. Nemadji Golf Course is a 4-star Golf Digest-rated championship golf facility featuring 36-holes with five sets of tees catering to all skill levels. Designed by world-renowned course architects Stanley Pelcher, Don Herfort and Roger Packard, you will be sure to test your skills.

Enger Park Golf Course, just south of downtown set atop a high bluff, treats golfers to enjoyable experiences and breathtaking views of Duluth Harbor. Built in 1927 near the historic Enger Park Tower, the 27-hole course features three, distinct parkland, links and traditional-style layouts.

Best Green Business

Duluth Grill
The Duluth Grill is well-recognized for its efforts to support a local, sustainable food system, plus it has compostable to-go containers, beekeeping on the roof, energy-saving lights and shades, veggies grown in raised beds made of reclaimed wood – the list is endless.

Best Hair Salon

Jenny the Hair Wizard
North Shore native Jennifer Herrick is an independent stylist working out of The Unwind Salon in the Lakeside neighborhood of Duluth. She is comfortable with any style, but her favorites are mullets, wolf cuts and shags. She loves to talk about anime, video games, metal music and other weird things. She is an accredited reiki master practitioner and a 200-hour yoga teacher, applying those skills to her work to make a haircut an experience unique and meaningful. All are welcome in her chair.

Best House of Worship

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth
Unitarians – disorganizing religion since 1568.

Best New Business in the last 12 Months

Havana’s
The idea began in 2006 at the Catfish Days Festival held every July in Floodwood, Minn. Partnered with the family business, Rich Cuisine LLC, two brothers, Jake and Zack, would join the festival serving Cuban sandwiches. In June of 2020, during the birth of the COVID pandemic, they had an epiphany: why not serve these sandwiches in their hometown of Superior? So “Superior Cubans” was launched as a mobile food trailer. After years of success they opened a full-scale bar and restaurant in the former Thirsty Pagan building.

Best Photographer

Charles Howard Smith
Duluth photographer with a penchant for cold weather, ships, surfers, drone shots, wildlife, the North Shore, northern lights, landscapes, rodeo, dog sled races, demolition derbies, classic cars and anything that can be captured under the most difficult conditions. His work can be found on Facebook, SmugMug and the website Destination Duluth.

Best Real Estate Agent

Kevin O’Brien
A realtor with Messina & Associates, O’Brien has lived in the Duluth area for the past 30 years. He received his Bachelor’s Degree at UMD in 1993 and his real estate license in 1995. Some of his community involvement includes being on the Duluth Police Foundation board and a member of Port of Duluth Kiwanis. He is also a veteran of the Minnesota National Guard, in which he served 1987-2008.

Best Retirement/Assisted Living Facility

Edgewood Hermantown
Edgewood is a North Dakota-based company with senior housing facilities throughout the Upper Midwest. The sprawling estate in Hermantown is definitely impressive, with clean, spacious, well-lit rooms and shared spaces. Runner up: Keystone Bluffs.

Best Service 
(non-restaurant)

Vision Pro Optical
Their team of eye doctors and staff are dedicated to creating an exceptional experience that starts in the exam lane. Optometrists will thoroughly evaluate your eyes for any diseases or conditions and update your eyewear prescription to ensure your glasses and contacts provide crystal-clear vision.

Best Ski Hill

Spirit Mountain
Now in its 50th year, Spirit Mountain was proposed and designed by former Olympic skier George Hovland, with the assistance of late Mayor Ben Boo. Today it’s considered one of Minnesota’s must-see locations, with beautiful views of the lake from the 22 Alpine runs, 175 acres of skiable terrain, 700’ vertical drop, 5 chair lifts, 3 surface lifts. Ski and snowboard lessons, family rates, fat-tire biking, largest terrain park and half-pipe in the Midwest. There’s also winter day tubing and glow tubing at night under the lights. The two Nordic centers feature 2.5 km of Nordic specific trail and 22 km of groomed cross-country ski trails (classic tracks and skating) through dense hardwood forest.

Best Use Of Taxpayer 
Dollars Last Year

Fixing potholes
But if they fix all the potholes, what will we have to complain or joke about?

Best Veterinarian Clinic

Happy Tails
Owner Dr. Justin Dahl graduated from Superior High School in 1995 and got his veterinarian degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He worked 13 years with Grand Avenue Veterinary Clinic in West Duluth, then moved back to Superior to open his own full-service clinic in 2015. His goal was not only good service but affordable service. They note only treat cats and dogs, but rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils and rats and farm animals, namely sheeps and goats.

Best of the Material World

Best Antique Shop

Father Time Antiques
Here’s a typical question messaged by Facebook to Father Time Antiques in Canal Park: “Have any Star Wars stuff?” The answer, of course, was, “You bet.” You can explore more than 10,000 square feet of antiques from more than 50 vendors in one location as you look for the perfect sign, piece of clothing, furniture or whatever you have been hunting for.
Best Architectural Treasure

Aerial Lift Bridge
Constructed in 1905, three years before the Model T. Between 1905 and 1925, when a lifting road was added, people rode a gondola across the canal. It has stood with this city through its many changes and has drawn countless visitors to our port city.

Best Art Gallery

Prøve
Contemporary/experimental art gallery in downtown Duluth, dedicated to the role of art exhibition as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Also an all-volunteer nonprofit arts organization funded by donations, regional and state grants, passion, sweat and tears. Also a venue for musical performances, spoken-word, experimental and community events. Runner up: Lake Superior Art Glass.

Best Bookstore (new)
Best Bookstore (used)

Zenith Books
Both new and “gently used” books can be found at this West End gem, which has declared throughout the pandemic that books are essential. It’s no surprise that Zenith also won the Best Used category below. “I would like to say how grateful we are,” said owner Bob Dobrow. “We have a tremendously supportive community and great customers. We and our customers love reading and books and we try to foster a very inviting space community-based space.”

Best Bowling Alley

Skyline Social & Games
Open daily for arcade, ax-throwing, bocce ball, bean bag, cribbage, duckpin, summer volleyball, dining, events, parties … everything! Also, of course, traditional bowling with 22 lanes. Six lanes are VIP-style with comfortable couch seating. With weeknight bowling leagues, there are usually still lanes open for public bowling. 

Best Car Dealer

Kari Toyota
When Edwin Kari and his sons started a bicycle repair shop from their home in the 1920s, they probably did not have the slightest notion that it would transform into one of the leading businesses in the Twin Ports a century later. The Kari family has transformed much over the years and have used the wealth of experience to bring the Northland a great car dealership that is truly appreciated by their many loyal customers.

Best Fashion (men)

Mainstream Fashions for Men
They call it the “Mainstream experience” – delivering the image you want to present in clothing. This downtown Duluth store has been serving the men of the Twin Ports since the early 1990s Customer service is their point of pride, as their goal is to help men find the perfect look in suits, sport coats, shirts, sweaters, jeans, outerwear and accessories.

Best Fashion (women)
Tie: Ragstock & maurices
Ragstock, a retailer of vintage and recycled clothing, started in Minneapolis in 1954 and expanded to 42 locations. The Duluth store at the corner of Lake and Superior has been an iconic fixture since 1989, moving into the larger space next door in 2011.
Shopkeeper E. Maurices Labovitz opened a small women’s clothing store in Duluth in 1931. Today it has 900 locations across the U.S. and Canada with most of its stores in small towns. The 11-story national headquarters, built in 2016, is the largest commercial development in Duluth history. But due to market challenges they have had layoffs both last year and early this year.

Best Fine Jewelry

Security Jewelers
When the original Seiler founded the company almost a hundred years ago, he did more than choose a great name for the store that would be in his family until it was sold in 2018. He started a diamond dynasty in Duluth that would be loved by generations of customers for their quality products and reliable and friendly service. They have won this category for many years. 

Best Hotel

Pier B
One of the most impressive hotels in town with its unique location overlooking Bayfront and Canal Park. Although the hotel is relatively new (as of 2016), the silos built on the property by Huron Portland Cement Company are more than 100 years old. Its opening was a sign of the tourism boom in Duluth, but apparently it’s the kind of high-end modern hotel that locals want to stay at.

Best Lodging-Romantic Getaway

Bluefin Bay
Bluefin Bay, the premier Lake Superior resort, offers access to the year-round playground that is the Lutsen-Tofte region, set against the backdrop of the Sawtooth Mountains and surrounded by the Superior National Forest. The indoors are more enjoyable with upscale accommodations that include in-suite wood fireplaces, whirlpool baths, and breathtaking views of Lake Superior. Bluefin Bay also has select rooms, studios, condos and townhomes to accommodate the four-legged friends who travel with you.

Best Music Instrument Store

Music-Go-Round
The world’s largest musical instrument resale franchise, so no surprise that it wins in this category again. A lot of their instruments and equipment are used and in excellent condition. The store is filled with great-playing instruments and gear that can be “taken for a test drive,” making it a better bet than picking up something off the internet.

Best Record Store (new)

Round Here Records
Round Here is a pop-up shop launched by Evan Tepler, also known as a member of the band Breanne Marie & The Front Porch Sinners. You’ll find vintage, new and modern LPs plus local artists’ LPs and CDs … you know, music from ‘round here. Check the Facebook page to find the next time it pops up at a bar/music venue near you.

Best Record Store (used)

River City Records & Books
A robustly spacious store with incredible inventory and a welcome remedy for anyone bummed about the future of vinyl after Electric Fetus closed in 2021. Hayward resident (originally from Superior) and record collector Todd Hanson opened the store in the Lincoln Park Craft District in October 2023 with manager Dury Nelson. They also carry new records, compact discs, DVDs, books and comic books.

Best Movie Theater
West Theatre
The West Theatre first opened on Christmas Day in 1937 as a streamlined modern variation of Art Deco, with seating for 595 people. The building closed as a theater in the mid-1950s. It housed several other businesses as well as spending some time vacant, until Bob Boone, owner of The Reader, purchased the building in late 2016 with the dream of restoring it to its Art Deco glory as a theater. The grand opening took place in 2019 and it has gained a reputation as an excellent concert and convention venue and movie theater.

Best Second-Hand Store

Savers
Very close to the mall stores and other outlets offering new and expensive items is a store dedicated to sales of things other people don’t want anymore. To you, one of these items may be your treasure, at a reduced price. You never know your luck when playing the thrift store lottery. To increase your odds, Savers has a clean organized store that makes looking for your treasure easy. They have a large area with racks of clothes and a big shelf with pairs of shoes. They have a long shelf, with assorted glass items like a choice of coffee pots to replace the one you just dropped. Best of all, you get discounts when you bring in stuff to donate.

Best Shoe Store

Benders
A family-owned store for shoes, clothing and gifts with locations in Duluth, Hibbing and Grand Rapids. They offer personalized shoe-fitting, measuring your feet and guiding you in selecting footwear with the proper support and best fit possible. If you’re dealing with foot problems and discomfort, schedule a complimentary personalized foot evaluation with their certified orthotist.

Best Public Restroom

Kwik Trip
Their bathrooms are cleaned by the staff every 30 minutes and if that’s not good enough, there’s a button you can press to let the employees know it needs to be attended. Their bathrooms are so clean they advertise it on their billboards.

Best Tattoo Studio

Skin Deep Tattoo
Tattoo and piercing shop on Tower Avenue in Superior, staffed by Matt Osterlund, Jason Routley and Maggie Jenkins. They previously won the Reader’s poll in 2020.

Best of People & Media

Best Actor

Steve Solkela
Rubber-faced and rubber-limbed performer known for playing the accordion on unicycles and skateboards, lone member of “Steve Solkela’s Overpopulated One Man Band,” half of the music duo Berserk Blondes with Kaylee Matuszak (see Best Actress), part of the Rubber Chicken Theater troupe, resident of Palo, Minn. (chances are if you live in St. Louis County, you don’t know where that is), destined for the Finnesotan Hall of Fame. 

Best Actress

Kaylee Matuszak
Inspired by Brandi Carlisle to become a musician, Matuszak has become a regular solo acoustic performer at many local establishments and festivals. She grew up around her father Brian’s comedy theater and is carrying on the family performance tradition. Last New Year’s Eve she played for Mayor Larson and knocked it out of the park, belting a farewell song from the balcony.

Best Album in the Last Year
'Finally' by Southpaw MN
Southpaw MN is a four-member band from Duluth playing “Post Midwest Mathcore™️” (they added the trademark) which roughly translates as “metal.” They’ve been around since 2015 with varying lineups and styles. This album, released last November on all streaming forms, is all instrumental, probably because no human voice could keep up with the insane chord and tempo changes and riffs that sound like they were conceived by M.C. Escher, if he were a musician.

Best Athlete (college)

Emma Johnson
Johnson is an Elementary Education major and track/field athlete for UW-Superior Yellowjackets. In the current season she was named the UMAC (Upper Midwest Athletic Conference) indoor field athlete of the week. She was a star athlete at Unity High School in Balsam Lake, Wis., a three-time shot put conference champion and recipient of the MVP award at the Knicker Invite.

Best Athlete (High School)

Brooklynne Patterson
Patterson, Class of 2026, plays softball for Proctor High School. She was a key player in helping the Rails win the 2023 Section 7AA trophy.

Best Local Artist

Annmarie Geniusz
Geniusz is an interdisciplinary artist/illustrator, a Canadian-American indigenous artist of Cree-Metis descent and a Duluth resident for 16 years. She is best known recently for her botanical illustrations and large-scale chalk murals at festivals. She has been working at regional chalk art festivals for four summers now, spanning four states. Her work often involves whimsical characters and narrative inspired scenes. She draws inspiration from her long history as a conservation volunteer, her hiking addiction and her love of sci-fi/fantasy. 

Best Band / Musician

The Northwood’s Band
The variety band from Two Harbors played its first gig in 2014, with brothers Hunter McCullough, then 16, Colton McCullough, then 14. Original member Dennis Pearson graduated from UMD last year and now attends graduate school in music. Dalton Hanson joined the band in the fall of 2018. Hunter and Colton McCullough have an acoustic side project called, naturally, The McCullough Brothers.

Best Band Name

Booty & the Hoefish
Four-piece band from Superior that covers ‘90s and early ‘000s music such as Green Day, Blink-182, Sublime, Good Charlotte, Third Eye Blind, Sugar Ray … okay, but will they play “Mold High Man” or “Boney Annalee With Woo”? The concept loses points for originality, as a quick Google search comes up with several other bands of the same name in Texas, California and Canada. California jokingly accused Texas of stealing the name but acknowledged, “Great minds think alike.”

Best Book 
(released in last 12 months)

The Spirit of the North Wind by Anthony Anselmo
The plot of this novel for teens and young adults, published by the native-owned company Black Bears & Blueberries, sounds interesting: “Thirteen-year-old Sody Fairbanks awakens a terrifying Ojibwe spirit when he persuades his grandfather to tell a forbidden ghost story.” The author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Band of Ojibwe, grew up in Effie and worked as a fish and wildlife specialist in the Arrowhead Region.

Best Community Activist

Deb Holman
This will be the third year for Deb Holman to take the win for Best Community Activist. As the Street Outreach Worker for the CHUM Center, her work is never over in helping others. “It’s getting tougher to do what I do as resources and housing dry up,” she said. “I find myself using the community more and more for the help I need. The help is funneled  through Chum but I certainly get a lot of help just by asking such as on Facebook. I could not do what I do without the community’s help. I think lots of times what I do too is just lend an ear to people that are lonely out on the streets, it obviously is very tough to just leave people out there.I continue to be motivated by resilience of these folks, they amaze me and help me keep on, literally.”

Best Community Festival (Last 12 months)

Superior Porchfest
Superior Porchfest is a grassroots, family-friendly and free community music event held in Superior neighborhoods on six Thursday evenings throughout the summer. There are 12 acts playing at 12 venues for two hours. Grab a blanket or lawn chair, pack a picnic and join your neighbors for a night of music. Because this is a grassroots effort, there is a way to get involved. Learn more at superiorporchfest.org. 

Best Concert in the Last Year

Trampled By Turtles at Bayfront
Local boys made good nationally have been a perennial favorite at Bayfront since 2013 (with a couple of years missed during the COVID era) and yes, they’ll be back this upcoming July 6. These shows sell out, so get those tickets asap.

Best Dance Club

The Flame Duluth
Duluth’s first LGBTQ Club, The Flame in Duluth has been winning this category ever since they opened in 2012. They have a full dance floor, professional sound system and lights, plenty of space to socialize and mingle, and a generally cool vibe. It’s a great place for anyone looking to hang out and have some fun to be themselves. Also notable, great happy hour specials on weekdays, and don’t forget the hottest place to be in Duluth for the annual Pride Festival. 

Best Free Event 
(last 12 months)

Bentleyville
Twenty acres at Bayfront Park are covered with 5 million lights and nonstop Christmas music. More than 300,000 people attend, though how many of those are repeat visitors is anyone’s guess. 

Best Small Employer 
(20 or less)

WE Health Clinic
This being the only abortion provider in Northern Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, you need a lot of stamina to work there, surrounded at all times by creepy anti-abortions demonstrators who even skulk around the back alley to harass the hapless young women trying to get in.

Best Large Employer 
(21 or more)

Pizza Lucé
Would it be such a fun place to hang out if the staff were grumpy and dissatisfied? We think not.

Best All Ages Hangout
Best Coffee House
Best Live Music Club
Best Open Mic

Wussow’s Concert Café 
Whoa, talk about sweeping the major Academy Awards. Are they the “Silence of the Lambs” of coffee shops? Wussow’s (then called “Beaner’s”) opened in the summer of 1999 to create a welcoming atmosphere for anyone who loved conversation, coffee, healthy food and concerts from local and national touring musicians; a place to socialize during the day, work or study in the afternoon and enjoy music at night.

Best Local Play in the Last Year

Sound of Music - Duluth Playhouse
Weird that they had to issue a “content advisory” warning that the play “contains haze, flashing lights, and anti-semitic symbols associated with Nazism.” The 1965 movie had all that and it was rated G. With Alyson Enderle as Maria, Jace LeGarde as Captain Von Trapp and 14 young actors (double-cast) playing the seven Von Trapp children.

Best Local Website

Perfect Duluth Day
Combining magazine-style journalism with the crowdsourcing abilities of modern social media, PDD stands as Duluth’s Duluthiest website. It was founded in 2003 and became a limited liability company in 2009. It is a worker-owned operation; current partners are Lawrence Lee, Cory Fechner, Brian Barber and Paul Lundgren.

Best Newspaper Columnist

John Ramos
“A cantankerous press, an obstinate press, a ubiquitous press must be suffered by those in authority in order to preserve the even greater values of freedom of expression and the right of the people to know,” wrote Judge Murray Gurfein in 1971, ruling on the Pentagon Papers. Mr. Ramos is determined to be the walking embodiment of those words, especially “cantankerous,” but it’s hard to argue with his research skills. His website, duluthmonitor.com, is the premier muckraker in the Northeast Minnesota/ Northwest Wisconsin region, consistently breaking new scoops and going where few other media dare to tread.

Best Local Elected Official

Jen McEwen
According to the Minnesota Reformer, “Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, oversaw one of the most significant legislative sessions for organized labor and workers in Minnesota history as chair of the Senate Labor Committee. Minnesota lawmakers passed laws mandating paid sick leave, creating a paid family and medical leave program, banning non-compete agreements, banning captive audience meetings and granting nursing home workers greater power to negotiate wages and working conditions … she was the lead author of new laws that make general contractors liable for wage theft on their projects and allow hourly school workers to collect unemployment benefits during summer breaks — a first in the country.”

Best Radio Personality
Person of the Year

Jeanne Ryan
“I would consider myself one of the dinosaurs of radio in this market, having been on the air here for many years, but loving every minute of it!” Jeanne once wrote. She started her radio career in the Twin Ports market in 2000 with 92.1 The Beat, then hosted the morning show for 15 years at Mix 108. Early in 2023 she was let go by the station due to budget cuts and died in December at age 59 from complications of pneumonia. Dan Hangar, a personal friend, reported on her death while choking back tears.

Best Radio Station

95 KQDS
Home of the KQ Morning Show and No. 1 for classic rock for more than 40 years. Runner up: KTWH 99.5.

Best Reporter

Dan Hanger
Fox 21 news anchor Dan Hanger moved to the Northland from his hometown in Chicago in 2006 and took on his first reporting job at KBJR after graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a major in broadcast journalism. He joined Fox as a reporter in October 2010 and was promoted to anchor in August 2011. “I am so interested in people!” he told the Reader. “Always full of questions, Love to find the truth in every story. Love telling stories that nobody wants to talk about. Plus, it’s different every day. I would go nuts sitting in some cubical!”

Best TV Commercial

There is No Poop Fairy
This started out as a wildly funny public service announcement for Duluth Parks & Recreation in 2018, starring local treasure Jodi Kujawa as a slovenly deity urging people to pick up after their dogs. It was good enough to warrant sequels, which address the issues of garbage disposal, leaf raking and yard mowing and how to reduce their impacts on the environment. (“He’s more than a single issue mythical being!”) You can watch them all at poopfairy.university.

Best TV News Station

WDIO
It’s been a long time since Dennis Anderson’s mustache graced the airwaves at WDIO. We knew that the anchors, meteorologists, reporters and camera operators have always done a great job at WDIO, but we always figured there needed to be a mustache on board to give it that last special bump. The people at WDIO are really that good, not one of them has a mustache and things are being held down great at the station.

Best TV Personality

Hunter McCullough
The Northern News Now (KBJR 6/CBS 3) weatherman grew up in Brimson, graduated in 2015 from Two Harbors High School, and graduated from Saint Cloud State University with a major in Meteorology and a minor in Mass Communications in 2019. When he isn’t checking up on the weather, he’s probably out with his band, The Northwood’s Band (see Best Band) as lead singer, drummer and keyboard player.

Best TV Program (local)

Northern Life
Briggs LeSavage, Hunter McCullough and Ryan Haff host a lifestyle television news show airing weekdays at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Northern News Now.

Best of Food & Drink

Best American Restaurant

Big Daddy’s Burgers
Classic storefront diner in the Piedmont neighborhood, open since 2001, with nuthin’ fancy decor but exceptional food, known for their burgers and their breakfast, and there’s also variety for any diet, vegetarian and vegan options, kids and senior menus and a great dessert selection. There’s a “Wall of Fame” for anyone who manages to finish the Belly Buster Burger.

Best Asian Restaurant

Golden Inn
Golden Inn was opened in 2004 by two families with more than 100 years of combined experience. They serve authentic Chinese cuisine along with the premium American dishes, and have earned a reputation for their Cantonese and Szechwan cuisine.

Best Bakery

Johnson’s Bakery
Johnson’s Bakery is like an old dependable and familiar lighthouse. Its sweet smells act as a beacon bringing you to a familiar place with many memories. It has been a place of enjoyable food and community for more than 70 years. The Lincoln Park building was built in 1916 and Bill and Lillian Johnson started the bakery in 1946. Johnson’s is the last bakery left of an active community of local startup bakeries from that time period.

Best Bar & Grill
Best Burger Joint
Best Really, Really Cheap Food

Anchor Bar
The Anchor’s burgers and fries are as authentic as they get. If you look around the bar, you can see a whole potato practically being drawn and quartered (mild exaggeration) before your very eyes and turned into the freshest French fries you’ll ever eat (no exaggeration). No frills, but delish! Adam Anderson credits his late father with the Anchor’s success. “My dad started the establishment in 1977,” he said, “and we’re just trying to keep it going. It’s been successful, and if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! We put out a fresh product at a reasonable price.” The Anchor keeps winning this category because they aren’t just any old bar and grill. They’re special in the hearts of Northlanders.

Best Bartender

Phil K. at Black Bear Casino
Phil was surprised and grateful to learn he won this category. He was born in Wyoming, moved with his parents to Carlton when he was five (“I’m pretty much a Minnesotan now”) and started working in Black Bear 21 years ago. His boss noticed that as a server he had a good rapport with customers, so suggested he become a bartender. He chalks up his winning to “giving them the service everyone deserves and being a friend someone needs.” He also credits the customers who “have impacted my life.” Runner up: Jeremy Maida at Pizza Luce.

Best Beer Selection On Tap
Best Sandwiches
Best Outdoor Dining

Sir Benedict’s
Sir Ben’s has an authentic English Pub atmosphere with a great lake view and a patio suitable for spring, summer and fall. (Even winter, during this warm spell.) They have live music six nights a week, including the popular bluegrass jams, Celtic jams and open mics. (Teague Alexy Mondays!) Their tap list is ever changing with the seasons and their choices draw the people in. There are 14 choices of fresh sandwiches (options like “Chicken Bacon Art” and “The Tropical Pig”) or you can build your own. Plus excellent soups and appetizers, and they might be right calling their nachos “Best Ever.”

Best Bloody Mary

Doc’s Sports Bar & Grill
This one is a surprise winner since it’s located in Sturgeon Lake, about 45 minutes south of the Twin Ports, where so many other bars compete in this category. But Doc’s insane and outrageously delicious drink is one its big attractions, a meal in itself loaded with pickles, cheese, meat and spices.

Best Breakfast

The Social House
A favorite breakfast, brunch and lunch spot in Hermantown (next to Gordy’s Market) recently opened a Canal Park location in the vacated Famous Dave’s space. Locals and tourists can now order the same great food at both locations, with down-home cooking, large portions, great service, good prices, and an owner dedicated to offering the area’s best casual dining experience. Runner up: Big Daddy’s.

Best Brewery (local)

Bent Paddle Brewing Co.
Bent Paddle Brewing is a 30-barrel production craft brewery and taproom located in the Lincoln Park Neighborhood. Using Lake Superior water, the Bent Paddle brews the freshest and most dependable craft beer possible. The goal at Bent Paddle Brewing is to produce beers that “Bend the Tradition” of classic styles, striving to make drinkable, balanced beers with an edge of inventiveness for all beer lovers to enjoy.

Best Business Lunch

Pickwick
A landmark since 1914, Pickwick is natural for business lunches due to its size, proximity to downtown and both private and open areas. Mostly it’s the relaxed gravitas lent by the distinguished atmosphere. The food won a James Beard Foundation Award in 2007. Runner up: The Boat Club.

Best Community 
Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Northern Harvest
Congratulations to Rick and Karola Dalen for being the best CSA sixth year in a row. They both graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 2003 and have been running Northern Harvest Farm since 2005. Family farms have become a nostalgic notion and our economy has become dependent on an unhealthy, unsustainable agribusiness system. CSAs like the Dalens’ are rebuilding a vibrant local and regional food system. Runner up: Food Farm.

Best Desserts

The Cupcake Lady
Instead of having a storefront, Annie Sitek runs her licensed small business out of her home. She offers over 75 different flavors of cupcakes, always fresh because they are made to order. “I just do cupcakes. I specialize in gourmet cupcakes,” she said. “I deliver all over Duluth and Superior. For bigger events like weddings I will travel further distances.”

Best Dining Worth the Drive 
(20+ miles from Duluth)
Best Mexican Restaurant

Pedro’s Grill & Cantina
If you live in the Twin Ports, you no longer need to drive to Cloquet for Pedro’s cuisine, as the family business owned by Erika Aranda just opened a new location in Superior in January of this year. Still, a visit to the Cloquet spot has charms of its own, located in a thriving old-style American downtown with a different feel than Duluth and Superior. 

Best Fish Fry

The Breeze Inn
Twin Ports dining is not just by the lake. There’s also an inland forest empire at the north edge of town, a gateway to the vast woods. Here on Jean Duluth Road you are still close to town but can look up at the stars or enjoy a bonfire. This cozy bar and grill is known for award-winning Juicy Lucys, signature sauces, a selection of local brews, a dog-friendly back porch, homemade soups and its appearance on the Travel Channel’s Man v. Food. Locals in the know gather here for a good time, live music and of course, to shoot the breeze.

Best Grocery Store

Whole Foods Co-op
Whole Foods Co-op has served the area since 1970, when an ambitious group of friends created a buying club to purchase and share whole foods and organic items not readily available in regular stores. It’s grown to include more than 13,000 owners, 150 employees, two locations in Duluth and more than $21.5 million in annual sales. They invest and partner with regional food producers and farmers to strengthen the  local food systems.

Best Gourmet Dinner

Lake Ave Cafe
Just looking through their menu, you see very exotic-sounding yet reasonably priced dishes. Some of these are pheasant pate, bone marrow, rabbit enchiladas, grilled octopus and wild boar bolognese. This is the place to try fancy dishes. There is also plenty for adventurous vegetarians (try the jerked spaghetti squash).

Best Happy Hour

Applebee’s
Ach, Reader readers, we want local businesses for this competition, not big national chains. It is our curse that we must print whatever you choose. (Truth be told, we’ve been there ourselves. Our friends dragged us. We’re not complaining.)

Best Late Night Grub
Best Pizza

Pizza Lucé
Despite the ire directed at Tech Village at the time it opened in 2000 at the corner of Lake and Superior (Duluthians hate new development in general and the destruction of historic buildings was a sore point), this bar/restaurant/music venue, part of a Minnesota chain with nine locations otherwise around the Twin Cities, quickly became the go-to place for hipsters and it never lost that status. Maybe it’s because the food is deliciously unusual (pizza creations such as the “Fire Breathing Dragon”), the staff is great and the atmosphere is lively, funky yet relaxed. 

Best Liquor Store

Keyport
Keyport has won this category 26 years in a row for several reasons. One is the very wide variety of wine, whiskey and other liquors. Two is the excellent craft beer selection. Third is the very friendly employees, and fourth, their location at the end of the Bong Bridge, conveniently next to Super One. And, oh yeah, the prices. Last year owner Nick Casper expanded to Duluth with the purchase of Lake Aire Bottle Shop on London road.

Best Martini

Tie: Vikre & Blackwater
Opening in 2014 just steps away from the Aerial Lift Bridge, right after the Minnesota Legislature passed a law allowing microdistilleries, this craft distillery uses local grains, handcrafted oak barrels and the clean, cold water of Lake Superior to make gin, vodka, whiskey and liqueurs.
“Elegance” is the first word that comes to mind with Blackwater Lounge in the Greysolon Plaza in Old Downtown, as no doubt intended. (Or maybe swanky? Swingin’? Sinatra?) There’s a 1930s vibe, hand-painted murals, live jazz and acoustic music and sometimes DJs). The glowing marble bar seems to be the main source of light. And the cocktails are amazing, of course.

Best Ribs

Eddie’s World Famous Ribs
It is in the name folks and our readership has agreed that the best place to go for ribs is Eddie’s in Superior’s East End. Eddie’s was originally founded in the ‘60s and has maintained the theme from the era. Their award-winning ribs and excellent service are what have created loyal customers. Eddie’s can accommodate parties up to 20 and cater events for 200.

Best Romantic Dinner
Va Bene
A spectacular view of Lake Superior sets the mood, when seen from the enclosed solarium or the enclosed grotto. There’s indoor dining for large and small groups, a private dining room upstairs and in warm weather, sidewalk seating facing Superior Street. From-scratch Italian meals seal the deal.

Best Serving Staff
Tie: Chester Creek Cafe & OMC

Best Steak
Texas Roadhouse
Tarnation, another national chain. We want local businesses, hoss! But we’ve eaten here and admit the grub does the job.

Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant

Duluth Grill
Duluth Grill does serve meat but they also offer vegan options. For breakfast there is a variety of omelets with house-made “egg” nutritional yeast and French toast cooked with vegan batter. For lunch there are Buddha Bread tacos (Hand made Chinese fry bread laced with leeks, topped with gochujang, kimchi, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and bang bang cucumbers) and the “Bhaji Bowl” (Coconut rice, coconut potato curry, fresh lime, brined onions and sweet potato quinoa latkes). There are also gluten-free options. You can buy the Duluth Grill Cookbook with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free meal plans.

Worst of the Northland

Most Obnoxious Local TV Commercial

Nicolet Law
It’s funny the first time you see it: Starts out as a standard boring lawyer ad with Russ Nicolet saying, “Have you or a loved one been seriously … Aah, forget that.” Then he proceeds to strut and jump around with a metal band playing “Shout at the Devil” riffs, complete with pyrotechnics. It got your attention, right? But when it gets heavy rotation on TV, you’re probably lunging for the remote after the third, fourth or 100th time seeing it. And someone ought to tell him his beard is not that fearful.

Worst Local Elected Official

Pete Stauber
He’s won this category year after year ever since he became Eighth District Representative in 2019. We could spend endless column inches detailing his douchiness, and we already have, so how about giving someone else a chance? But it’s probably futile to ask as the country plunges deeper into divisiveness.

Worst Use of Taxpayer 
Dollars

Bike Lanes
Revered by many as essential to the green city of the future where people get outside, get around without fossil fuels and connect with others. Unfortunately to others, bike paths are another taxpayer-funded hippie granola plot. What, you still think climate change is fake? Have you noticed how much snow we’ve had this winter? Have you forgotten the record heat waves last summer? Keep on truckin’ til you drop dead.

Worst public restroom

Miller Hill Mall Food Court
How pristine can you expect it to be after everyone’s been chowing down on tacos and chili? But maybe the management should take this as a hint to be a little more attentive to the place. Bathrooms are sacred and not to be taken for granted! Pay those janitors top wages! Whatever it takes!

Worst road

Mesaba Avenue
Curved, steep, high-speed and scary, the road to avoid when conditions are icy. It’s also real tempting to go barreling down it while oohing and ahhing at the view of the lake and the harbor. The visibility is terrible for drivers pulling out on Third Street. No wonder it has its share of collisions and rollovers. What to do about it? Can’t exactly smooth out a hill. Take another route when you can.